Mega Spider Update; First Look at Greg Grunberg and Lombardo Boyar in Character!

As reported previously, production has begun on the sci-fi actioner Mega Spider. The film, described as a “Tremors-style creature feature about a towering mutant arachnid on an 8-legged rampage across Los Angeles,” is being directed by Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers) and was written by Gregory Gieras (Dark Island). Shooting began September 6th, and if you’re interested in being an extra, read on because we have all the details, but act fast – the deadline is September 15th.

The project first generated press when it was announced that willing participants could be terrorized on camera by contacting iwanttobesquashedbymegaspider@yahoo.com. Since then hundreds of extras have participated in the on-screen mayhem with requests being accepted until September 15th, 2011.

From the Press Release:Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”, “Alias”) and Lombardo Boyar (“The Bernie Mac Show”) (pictured below), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, “Twin Peaks”).

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: “The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Greg Grunberg couldn’t agree more: “They say never work with animals and babies; I want to add giant spiders to that list. Having such a blast, laughing every day, and yet the movie is scary as shit!”

The film is being produced by Patrick Ewald and Shaked Berenson of worldwide sales and financing outfit Epic Pictures Group (Darren Lynn Bousman’s 11-11-11) along with Travis Stevens of Snowfort Pictures (A Horrible Way to Die) and Klaus von Sayn-Wittgenstein of Wittgenstein Ventures. Epic Pictures Group will handle worldwide sales.

“We have a phenomenal cast, interesting characters, and an amazing VFX team. Mike is going to knock this one out of the park,” says Shaked Berenson of Epic Pictures Group. Ewald adds, “This creature is bigger than King Kong, deadlier than the Alien Queen, and has the burning vengeance of a betrayed woman. Mega Spider is a flaming, flashing, crashing blow-’em-up movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.”

Snowfort’s Travis Stevens sums it up as follows: “This is a movie about killing a big-ass bug. There’s a lunacy to the concept that we’re really having fun with. You look at classics like Tremors or Starship Troopers, and the humor is just as important as the mayhem. I think we’re finding a great balance between the two.”

SynopsisSurviving extermination by nuclear eradication, a horrible alien mutation in arachnid form is now growing at an exponential rate and making its way toward downtown Los Angeles. Hot on its spindly heels is a crack military unit with absolute authority, led by an obsessively driven commander and his beautiful but lethal sidekick. Unfortunately for them, this mutant spider has an array of deadly defenses including the ability to virtually disappear through camouflage. But the creature’s real adversary quickly turns out to be a hot-shot local exterminator armed only with cocky attitude, some fast one-liners and his homemade gadgets. Joining forces with the military team, this blue-collar hero sets out to exterminate what has now become a monstrous 10-story tall MEGA SPIDER.